The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-25
A TOXIC THEATRE.
QUEER ARRANGEMENTS OF
JAPANESE PLAYHOCSES.
Noisy Orchestras and Long-Drawn-
Out Plays-Points of Supc-
riority Over Ameri-
can Theatres.

| Il
says native japanese in a letter to the
New York Commercial Aduertiser, is the
Shintomiza, which is situated close by
the foreign concession ground, so called
from the fact that only in this part of the
city were foreigners allowed to reside in
the early days of Japan's intercourse with
foreign countries. Passing over wooden
bridge over a canal from the concession,
| there is q short but wide and cleanly-
swept street, with fine two-storied houses
On both its sides. These are what are
known as the theatre tea houses. Right
in the midway of this street and on its
right hand side going up is situated the
theatre itself. 1t is a large building; the
illustrations of the scenes and perform
ances, as well as large wooden name cards
of the actors hung up in front, will at
once attract your attention. In these
fashionable theatres tickets are to be pro-
cured few days previous to your visit.
Even in less fashionable theatres tickets
are usually bought through one of the tea
houses, except for admittance to the gal
lery, where people have to stand up all
, the time.
You arrive at your tea house about fif-
teen minutes before noon and are ushered
upstairs into parlor, where you are
served with cup of tea and tray Of
sweets. These are indispensable accord
ing to the rules of etiquette which gov
ern tea houses. In few minutes young
servant girl politely asks you to proceed
on to the theatre. At the foot of the
ladder you are met by man servant, who
leads you into your box. There are three
entrances to the theatre, but the centre
one is for the visitors, while the other
two are exclusively used by the actors
and others connected with the concern.
The orchestra is divided with wooden
poles into squares or boxes of three feet
every way. These will perhaps number
some $50. One square is comfortable
for three people, but you find many
boxes where five or even six people are
sitting together. The box costs the same
whether one man sits in it OF six. Right
across the orchestra lengthwise from the
stage there is one narrow passage way for
visitors. This is in the centre, and on
both sides of the orchestra also there is a
passage elevated to the level of the stage
OF nearly so. The one on the left hand
side from the stage is for the visitors, but
the one on the right hand side is really a
part of the stage, inasmuch as the per-
formers not only usually proceed to the
stage through this road, but they often
actually perform on it. This road is one
of the advantages of the japanese the
atres over those in America. In cases
of professions the long passageway lead
ing to the stage is very important.
There are three rows of boxes behind
these passage ways; they are of the same
size as those in the centre, but the local
ity is supposed to be better and COM
mands higher prices. There is just one
row of boxes up stairs, and these are
considered the best places in the whole
theatre, because they are. less exposed,
and also have their private passage way,
giving great convenience for visitors to
pass in and out without annoying other
persons. The gallery is away back in the
second floor and is separated from other
quarters by big wooden frame works, so
that nobody can pass from the gallery to
the boxes. Thus the whole theatre can
accommodate some 5000 visitors. A few
| pictures hanging up and gas lamps hang
ing down finish your survey of the visit
ors' quarters. You look up to the stage;
small curtain on top has the following
words in Dutch and japanese: "Present-
ed to the :proprietors of the Shintomiza
Theatre, by the Dutch residents of Yoko-
hama" The lower part, or rather the
stage itself, is covered with another cur
tain. At 12 o'clock sharp few clappings
of pieces of wood and music announce
the opening of the curtain.
The curtain it made to run from one
side to the other, and a man puts his
hand at one end and runs away to the
otker end. This is very awkward, and
does not look like artistic theatrical work
at all. The American curtains, which
are carried up by means of strings, are
much preferable. On one side of the
stage there is little space partitioned in
by rough, wooden frameworks, and in
here music is kept up almost continually
On the other corner, also, there is music
, room shut in by bamboo curtains. Ono
! or the other of these music rooms makes
/ very great noise, right through the per.
Torrance, singing and playing musical
instruments. These noises are very un-
pleasant to unaccustomed ears, and often
times makes it almost impossible to catch
what is said on the stage. This is one
great fault of the japanese theatres.
When the curtain opens, two men sits
up at the corner of the stage and keep
their eyes over the visitors. On inquiry,
l was informed that they are to hiss any
visitor who might happen to make noise
or to stand up while the play is going on.
They are sort of theatre police. The
stage has circulating platform, so that
the scene is changed in less than no time.
The performance is continued till
o'clock in the evening with only few
minutes intermission between the acts.
Some eight acts of fourteen scenes are
| played. What is the most strikingly
peculiar is the performance; on the same
day, of four different pieces entirely in
dendent from each other. Your Japanese
neighbors take their meals in their boxes
while they enjoy the play. However, if
you wish to 60 to your tea house for your
meal, you can do 80, but in that case,
you must make great haste lest you skip
an act or a scene at least.
In Japan, theatrical performances are
done by men actors alone, except in some
of the cheaper and lower theatres. Wo-
mems parts are therefore played by mer
actors dressed and paintcd as women.